How and why do interviewers try to make impressions on applicants? A qualitative study

Area of Science:

• Organizational Behavior
• Human Resource Management
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Organizations must attract and retain top talent for competitiveness.
• Interviewers play a dual role: assessing candidates and representing the organization.
• Existing research lacks a specific conceptual model for interviewer impression management (IM).

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a conceptual model of interviewer IM, distinct from applicant IM.
• To explore how and why interviewers employ IM strategies.
• To identify the range of impressions interviewers aim to create, the signals used, and desired outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study employing a grounded theory approach.
• Analysis of in-depth interviews with interviewers and applicants.
• Observation of employment interviews and analysis of organizational documents (memos, brochures).

Main Results:

• Identified a broader spectrum of interviewer IM intentions than previously recognized.
• Documented a wide array of interviewer IM behaviors (verbal, nonverbal, paraverbal, artifactual, administrative).
• Developed a comprehensive taxonomy of interviewer IM intentions, behaviors, and outcomes, including their interrelationships.

Conclusions:

• Interviewer IM is a complex, multifaceted strategy crucial for organizational success.
• The developed model provides a framework for understanding and researching interviewer influence on candidate perception.
• Findings offer avenues for future research into optimizing interviewer effectiveness and organizational representation.